Traffic Chaos, Frustration And Danger Predicted At New Wolverhampton Sainsburys

Drivers group to fight for adequate parking and safe pedestrian facilities.

The West Midlands branch of the Association of British Drivers (ABD) will be challenging Wolverhampton Council's plan to cut parking spaces at a new retail development.

The ABD knows parking space restrictions are being imposed on developers by councils as part of a futile national strategy to force drivers onto public transport by maximising inconvenience.

The ABD will also be demanding a pedestrian bridge over the busy Wolverhampton ring road in place of the proposed traffic lights which will cause further congestion for motorists and danger for pedestrians.

The ABD will submit evidence to a public inquiry starting on Tuesday, 14th May, into a proposed retail development in Wolverhampton. The scheme would include a large Sainsbury's store and other retail units.

The ABD is not opposed in principle to the development of the site but fears that inadequate parking provision, plus the extra traffic generated, will worsen congestion on the already overloaded Wolverhampton Ring Road.

The ABD is also concerned at the safety of proposals for a pedestrian crossing of the Ring Road, to link the proposed development with the city centre.

ABD Chairman Brian Gregory says

"The number of parking spaces proposed is far too low for a development of this size. It is obvious that Wolverhampton City Council has followed central Government strategy and forced the developer to comply with its anti-car policies, which have seen a reduction in car parking spaces in the city in recent years and reallocation of road space to public transport. But people will still want to come to the city by car and, if they cannot park, will add to the congestion that already occurs. In the long run, the city will lose out as people take their custom elsewhere."

On the safety concerns, he continues

"The plan to have a traffic light crossing of a major dual carriageway road, that would be used by hundreds of pedestrians an hour, is a recipe for disaster. This unacceptable hazard could be totally eliminated with a properly designed pedestrian overpass (such as that on Paradise Circus in nearby Birmingham), which would also help to integrate the site with the city centre."